Thermostatic apparatus.



B. V. EDWARDS.

THERMOSTANC APPARATUS.

APPLICATIQN FILED MAR.28,1914.

Patented Jan. 2, 1917.

UNITED sTATns PATENT onirica.'v

BRUCE v. EDWARD'S, or NEWARK, new JnnsnY, AssTGNon, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, j

To THE BUncHELL-JOHNSTDN CORPORATION, A coRronA'rIeN- or NEWYORK.

THnnivrosTA'rIo APPARATUS.

* To LZZ w hom zt 'may concern f Be it known that l, BRUCE V. ED'wARDs, a citizen of 'the 'United States,'resid1ng at Newark, in the county of Essex andState 'oit New Jersey/f, have inventedl certain new and useful'Improvements inv Thermostatic Apparatus, of which the' following is` a as air, dueto temperature changes, will op-j.

specification,reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

' This invention'relates to thcrmostatic apparatus operating to control an electric circuit for sounding an alarm, operating sprinkler systems or performing other functions,

and the invention has special reference to that type of thermostatic apparatus in which. the .volumetric changes of a fluid body, such i crate 'tocontrol the circuit through the medium of a flexiblediaphragm or equivalent lmember moved by the expansion of the iiuid to perform its functions,y yet will loe-*very sensitive' to action under sudden temperature changes, and in-such conditions will opcrate with promptness andcertainty 1n effooting the 4control of the circuit.

With. these objects in view, my invention consists of the improved features of con struction and arrangement of the parts 'particularlyfset forth in the followingdescrlpn tion, and the novel features of which are delined in the'appended claims;

' [In the accompanyingdrawings Figure l is a. vertical sectional elevation through the device as it .appears when attached for in-V stance` to the. ceiling of a room; Fig. 2 is a sectional"elevation on an enlarged scale Referring particularly to Figsflf and 2, l

represents a. casing which inthe present in' Specification of 'Letters raient.

erably of metalv of such thickness as to give theproper rigidity, while enabling temperature changes on the exterior to be transmitted to the interior with. promptne'ss. This Patented J an.` 2, 19171'- I application filed March 28,1914'. Serial No. 827.82.5- I' I i i stance is of' hemispherical form', and is prefcasing constitutes the outer portion of thewall of 'an air expansion chamber 2, the

other'portion ot which wall consists of an,

annular plate 3 `and a iieible diaphragm A, which latter is shown as covering a central opening in the-plate 3. At its outer 'edge-th y 4-plate fits closely'within the interior of tte.'

casing and is sealed therein airtightby lany suitable means. At its center the plate/is provided with an interiorly threaded opening in `which is screwed a sleeve 4 of .con-y densite or vulcanite or similar insulztting material. The sleeve is provided with an annular central neck 5 threaded interiorlyat its upper portion, in which threaded portion is screwed a nut dof brass or other suitable conductive material. nut is stem (la which extends downwardly within the iieck5,'in which is seated-and suitably insulated therefrom, .one of theter.- minals 7 of an electric circuit, the upperend of which terminal is connected to one of the conductors 7 of the circuit.. The'other con'- ductor 8 of the circuit is electrically connected with .the nut 6,- the stem of which constitutes the other terminal of the circuit, which. terminates'at-v ,its lower end at the level of the terminal 7'. l

The diaphragm' A before alluded to, is sealed at its ai* ir edge around the lower end of the sleeve e and presents a surface'sul;`u

Depending from the -I ject to the expansive action of the air in,

chamber 2. v.Resting upon and supported by ,the diaphragm within the neckis a cup,l 'I

or vessel 9 the up per' portion of which is ex! tended downwardly within the body in the form of a collar lOwhich looselyifsurrounds the lower ends oi the electricf/termina-ls'in suell'fmannerythat the 'cup willlb'e guided vertically in the upl and down movements. of

the same due to the action off the dia phragm, and wil?` be maintainedin an upright position thereon. v A quantity of mer-- curyor other suitable conductive material l1 is' contained in the cup, the relation and ement ci' the parts being' such that normai conditions, the level oi the merciry body will be below the lowerex'- es the circuit terminals, but on the diaphragm due to the exper` 'the air in the chamber., the mercury 'ed into Contact with the ter1niecci, electric connection hein; into Contact with the. lower ends of 'the terminals, thereby forming an electric connection between there, and closingthe circuit., It vent opening l2 is provided, which in the form oi the apparatus shown is formed in the plate the purpose ci this openingl being; to prevent the diaphragm from being mored'under the inluence oit' gradual temperature changes due to the ordinary heating or 'the room or to changing climatic conditions.; This opening' While restricted, is of such size that in thel circumstances menair Will have time to escape, and nili prevent Asuch increase of voiuine in the 'chamber to cause the dia-` phragm to he moved "in the case of sudden changes however, such as octrom coniiagrationsethe Vent opening, on account its restricted size, will impede the e, :ape of the air in quantity suiiieient te prevent an4 increase in volume, and consequentlythe diaphragm will he moved and Wili carry the mercury body into contact eteniinals f v in order to permit a free/,movement et the iaphragm under the proper' conditions, an t ning; or openings 'i3 are formed, preterthe sleeve et ,through which openings Within the sleeve may escape, and '3e prevented from intereringcwith the movement of the diaphragm'.

s a means for preventing volatiiization aeration of the mercury body', propiacein the cup 9 on the surface of 'rail quantity 'li of glyc- Vr ective substance sc as to vent 'the cir from direct contact with the ace of the mercuryn Glycerin when used 'r this purpose will have the advantage ot rotecting the ends of the terminals from corrosion or the accumulation of dust or 1 which would interfere with their 1onduc'tivity; and it will also act to coat the inner surface of the csp, when the latter is moved about as in t -,.nsgortation, the lfilm sinne of glycerinvthus formed causing the mercury to adhcreto the interior Walls of the cup and in this Way preventing its escape through the collar l of the cup.

in. the attaclnnent of the apparatus to the .ceiling'ifor instance,.l proposeA to employ a block l which isadapted to be 'fastened in place bysuitable means. This block containsa central opening through which the conductors from theterminals pass to the line. Secured to the lower face of the vblock is a plate 16 provided at opposite sides With oppositely extending key-hole slots 17 adapted to receive headed pins 18 projecting upwardly 'from the plate 3. In fastening the easing in position, the latter is applied to the under side ofthe block and the pins 18 entered in the ends of the key-hole slots;v whereupon the casing is given a slight circumferential `movement so as to inter lock the heads of the pins with the edges of the slots. 1

The4 conductors of the electric circuit shown4 may he connected with a suitable de vice, for instance anl alarm bell B but it will he understood that the apparatus is not limited in-i'ts application to a signaling device of this type'as the conductors may be connected up to operate other devices such as sprinkler systems, and to perform vother functions, the invention residing in the oo nstruction of the" thermostatic controller, Without regard to the detailed form of the .apparatus operated by the vcontrolled ci'rcuit.

In the foregoing description, and'lin` the accompanying drawings I have shown my invent-ion embodied in the particular forms which i prefer to adopt, but itWill be manifest to the skilled mechanic that the details may be variously changed and mo'died without departing;v from the limits of the invention; and it Will'be understood that the invention is not limited to any particular form or construction of the parts except `in so far .as such limitations are specied in the claimsl` v Having thus described my invention, what claim 1s:

1. ln a thermostatic controller having an expansin chamber, the combination of a movable diaphragm, a vessel supported 'by said diaphragm and having; a downwardly and inwardly extending collar, a body of, conductive materialin'said vessel, and an electric terminal extending Withinl the collar in position to he engagedby said conductive body on the movement of the diaphragm.v

2. in a thermostatic controller having a fluid expansion chamber the Wali of which is provided with an inwardly extending sleeve, the conclunatinr` of a' diaphragm closing the inner end of saidsleeve, a neck-situatedv within the sleeve, thereby forming an annular ehamber surrounding the neck and closed at its lower end by the diaphragm, electric circuit terminals extending into the neck, and a vessel containing a liquid body of conductivev material, said vessel being sustained by the diaphragm and adapted onthe movement of the latter to cause the liquid body to contact with the terminals, said Ves- Sel being guided in its movement by the 10 neck.

In testimony whereof I 'have affixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

BRUCE V EDWARDS.

Witnesses JNO. SAUERWELN, HERBERT DIXON 

